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General Information

Employee vehicle parking is behind the building, along the fence @Artisan’s Courtyard. At Eagle Plaza parking is at the end of the building along the red guard-rails. We do have a security cameras around the buildings, but it is still advisable to keep your vehicle locked to protect your possessions. At Artisans Courtyard bike parking is in the front of the building, on the bike rack. Bikes must be locked. Bike parking at Eagle Plaza is at the entrance to the parking lot. Bikes must be locked. Artisans Courtyard: You will be issued a numbered key. I keep a record of all keys issued to all employees. If you lose your key there is a $50 fee. Your key will work for the front entrance of the Artisan’s Courtyard as well as the back door of the cafe. It is preferable to enter through the back door when you arrive for your shift.   There are showers in the locker room of the North Star Ballet, and you are permitted to use them. Use of showers may be revoked by the Ballet at any time. Be respectful of the amenities and always clean up after yourself. Eagle Plaza: you will be issued a numbered key, the key is for the side door on the end of the building, not the front entrance. I keep a record of all keys issued to all employees. If you lose your key there is a $50 fee.  

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Dress Code

Dress Code. Per Alaska food code 18 AAC 31.315: You must wear clean clothing that does not present a food contamination risk. It must be free from pet hair and human hair and any other potential contaminants. You must wear an apron over your clothing. We have full aprons and half aprons. If your clothing does not cover your midriff, you must wear a full-apron. You must wear closed-toed shoes. It is recommended that your shoes are non-slip. Nails should be kept trimmed and filed so that they can easily be kept clean. If you choose to paint your nails or have acrylic nails you must wear gloves for food preparation.

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Scheduling

Schedule. The schedule is made at least two weeks ahead of time and as such, all time-off requests must be submitted at least two weeks in advance. All requests must be submitted through Homebase. You may trade shifts or ask for coverage from other staff members (also through Homebase) as long as they have the appropriate training (baristas cannot cover baking shifts and vice versa, unless they are cross-trained). You may set your preferences for scheduling on Homebase, and I will do my best to accommodate your wishes. Please understand that if staff members are out of town you may be scheduled for shifts that you would not normally work. If you have plans to be gone or important commitments/appointments on days that you would not normally work, please still submit a time-off request so that I and your coworkers know that you are not available for covering shifts. It is expected that you will occasionally help cover shifts outside of your regularly scheduled days in case of employee illness or emergencies . I understand that everyone has lives outside of work, but if you will not cover shifts, you will lose your regularly scheduled shifts.   **I do my best to accommodate everyone’s schedules, and to keep the schedule as consistent as possible. Summer-time and holiday time are a little more difficult for scheduling as many folks like to travel. Please plan ahead. I do not like to decline vacation requests, but I may have to if too many people request at the same time. The earlier you get your requests in, the more likely they are to be approved. I will cover shifts myself only in cases of emergency. The start time of your scheduled shift is the time you are expected to start work, not the time you are expected to arrive. Please arrive early enough that you have time to get yourself situated and ready to work. If you walk through the door ready, that’s great. If you need time to change clothes or use the facilities before your shift, or if you want to enjoy a cup of coffee before your shift, you need to account for that and arrive early. Also, please do not clock in until you are ready to work. If you clock in when you walk in the door, but you spend ten minutes changing clothes or talking on the phone, that’s on your dime, not mine. Punctuality is important. Tardiness is disrespectful to your coworkers and to me.

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PTO

Paid time off and sick leave: You will earn paid time off at a rate of 1 hour per 40 hours worked. You are eligible to use paid time off after six months of employment. Paid time off may only be redeemed if you give two weeks notice of your time off. Everyone also receives 3 days of paid sick-leave, per calendar year, which can be redeemed as needed without prior notice. If you quit or are fired you are not entitled to accrued paid time off or paid sick leave.

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Sick Leave

No one should have to work when sick, however please know the difference between waking up groggy and being sick. Employees are responsible for helping to find coverage for their shifts if they are sick, management will fill in when absolutely necessary. We run a tight team, if one person is out sick it puts enormous stress on the rest of the team. If you believe that you have an illness or if you develop symptoms while at work you must report your illness to management immediately. If you are sick give as much notice as possible, even if it’s the middle of the night. Two hours minimum notice is required. While I understand that you many not always be able to provide two hours notice, multiple instances of little to no notice will result in termination. You may not be at work if you have a communicable illness with these symptoms (including but not limited to): fever, vomiting, diarrhea, severe coughing, sore throat, open and/or oozing skin sores, contagious rashes, or jaundice (yellow appearance to the skin). Employees with temperatures of 101.1 and/or diarrhea must wait at least 24 hours after symptoms have disappeared before returning to work. Staff may not be absent from work for more than 3 days without a doctor’s note. If you are unable to provide a note from a doctor the matter will need to be discussed with management. Cuts or sores must be bandaged and covered with gloves while working with food to prevent the spread of illness.

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Paychecks

Pay periods are two weeks long, starting on a Monday and ending on a Sunday. Pay checks are issued every other Friday, either by direct deposit or paper check. Advances are not typical, but if granted will only be issued for hours already worked in the given pay period. Paychecks will not be given to anyone other than the employee whose name appears on the check, without prior authorization. The person who has been approved to pick up an employee paycheck must provide a form of photo Identification. If there happens to be an error on the paycheck, whether it is hours worked, total pay, or tips, you must notify me immediately so that I can rectify the situation.   If an employee is found to have provided false information on pre-employment documents, the employment application, employee resume, and/or changed, altered, deleted, or mislabeled other company records or other documents, employment will be terminated immediately.

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Tips

Cash tips are split evenly among all those on shift when an employee clocks out or when someone new clocks in. Each employee has an envelope with his/her name where tips are kept during the shift. Cash tips must be reported at clock-out, in the Homebase app, and can be taken home daily. Credit card tips are dispersed with paychecks. I, as the owner, am not part of the tip pool and do not earn cash tips or credit card tips. I take care of counting down the till daily. The register drawer must be correct each day. If the drawer is not correct then I will take an equal amount of tip money from employees that worked the day of the disputed amount to make the drawer correct. If the drawer total continues to be incorrect, an investigation will be conducted as to why this is a continued problem. Any employee caught stealing other employees’ tips or monies from the cash drawer, will be dismissed immediately.

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Breaks

Per Alaska labor laws, there is no requirement to provide breaks for anyone 18 years of age or older. Despite this, you will be allowed a 15 minute paid break for lunch during an 8-hour shift. You also will usually have time to stop and enjoy a coffee or a snack when there are slow points throughout the day. If you are working a shorter shift or covering a partial shift you are not entitled to a break. Your break starts as soon as you stop serving customers and must be completed in 15 minutes. You are not guaranteed a break. If the cafe is too busy, you may have to delay or skip your break. You should not count on eating a meal during your shift. Breaks are given in order of arrival: opening baristas first, baking shift, mid-shift, and then closing baristas. You may bring your own food and store it in the office refrigerator, or you may make food for yourself in our kitchen.

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Discounts/Shift Meals

During your shift you may have two free dinks, any additional drinks you may purchase at 50% off. You may have a shift meal (up to $10 Value) also at a 50% discount. Retail Discounts: Any consumables (coffee beans, chocolates, tea tins, etc. . . ) may be purchased at a 50% discount. Other merch (logo mugs/tumblers, hoodies, hats, coffee brewing equipment) may be purchased at a 30% discount. Items made by local artists may not be discounted (Brianna Reagan wildflower mugs, Smell This AK candles, etc. ). If you are not sure what discount applies, speak to your manager or me directly. Your employee discounts apply only to you. Do not share your discounts with family members or friends. If you are sharing your discount you are stealing. NEW: You may give out one free drink (up to $5 value) per day to a customer of your choice. Do not abuse this, but use it to create good will.

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Customer Service

I do not subscribe to the "customer is always right" mentality. The customer always deserves to be treated with respect, but so do you. I expect you to provide efficient, friendly, respectful service, I do not expect you to put up with poor behavior. If a customer is being rude, aggressive, or otherwise problematic--remove yourself from the situation and alert your manager or myself. If there is an issue that can be solved by offering to remake food/drink or offering a refund, you are authorized to do so. NEW: there is a shared chat in Homebase to keep a record of customer interactions. I know it is hard in the moment, but I want everyone at the end or their shift to add any information about customer interactions for they day. This will allow me to know what is going on and to able to "back you up" if there is a customer complaint. I always want to support you all when I know you are doing your best to provide great service, having your side of the story really helps me do that.

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Trade Secrets

A Trade Secret is defined as: “Any valuable commercial information that provides a business with an advantage over competitors who do not have that information.” Trade secrets include inventions, ideas, or compilations of data (e.g. RECIPES) that are used by a business to make itself more successful. Specifically, trade secrets include any useful formula, plan, pattern, process, program, tool, technique, mechanism, compound, or device that is not generally known or readily ascertainable by the public. Whatever type of information is represented by a trade secret; a business must take reasonable steps to safeguard it from disclosure! Employees are not to disclose any proprietary processes, procedures, or recipes to any person. Our recipes are not for sale. You may use anything you learn at Little Owl for your own personal home use, but not for monetary gain. Any employee caught disclosing this information to customers or other persons will undergo immediate disciplinary action. Little Owl Cafe also reserves the right to institute civil action against any current or former employee who violates the trade secret policy to the fullest extent allowed by law.

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Workplace Safety

To be in compliance with Alaska’s State and Federal health and safety laws, work areas must be kept clean, safe, and free of hazardous conditions at all times. Little Owl Cafe will make every effort to provide safe working conditions. Employees are expected to be equally conscientious about workplace safety, including proper work methods, reporting potential work hazards, and avoiding known hazards. Any unsafe work conditions that could result in an accident should be reported immediately to me (Sarah).

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Communication

Clear communication is incredibly important as is timely/prompt communication. If there is any issue that needs to be addressed and management is not present or if it is something that needs to be addressed by me (Sarah), please call/text or send a Homebase message. Do not wait for an in-person interaction. Also please respect the fact that there are 20+ employees and only one of me. I prefer written communication so that I will be less likely to forget things. I make myself available from 5am-9pm Monday-Friday, and 9am-5pm on Saturdays. I will not respond to messages outside of these times unless it is an emergency. I will not contact you outside of those hours, and I do not expect you to respond to me outside of those hours. I do expect you to check Homebase before your shift for messages and schedule updates. If/when I reach out to you via text or phone call, I do expect a timely response. I do expect you to allow notifications from Homebase.

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Rules and Guidelines

Little Owl Cafe requires employees to abide by the following rules and guidelines for the safety of themselves, co-workers, and guests: * Employees are required to work responsibly and professionally to prevent the damage, destruction, or delay to the work progress, materials, tools, equipment, or other company property; or interfere with the work of others or their own safety. * The use of cell phones is prohibited in front of guests! This includes texting, messaging, face-time, email, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube. . . You may have your phone on your person while working, but you may not use it in front of house. *The use of headphones or earbuds is not permitted except when you are on your break. * Avoid the use of foul and abusive language. * Be honest and fair in your work. “Milking the Clock” is not permitted. When you are at work you are expected to work and to show some hustle. * Be respectful of co-workers, guests and management. * To ensure the café is always adequately staffed, employees must notify coworkers before they may leave the floor to use the restroom, take a break, or for any other reason. * All transactions must be recorded, meaning: entered in the register through Square point of sale. * Employees will be terminated immediately for stealing, lying, or cheating. * A maximum discount of 10% may be given only to persons that provide an authentic ID showing proof of membership/employment for the “University of Alaska Fairbanks” or “United States Armed Forces”. Owners and staff that work in the Artisan’s Courtyard also receive a 10%. If you have questions about who may receive a discount, please ask. Discounts may never be given to staff members’ family or friends for non-promotional reasons. * Employees are required to limit visit/chatting time to a couple minutes with family members and friends while on shift. * Disciplinary Action will be taken immediately in cases of insubordination, refusal to perform job assignments, or are disrespect toward management. * Employees may never misuse, change or alter cleansers, chemicals, food containers or container contents in any way. * Reading applications or resumes of potential hires is strictly prohibited! This is personal information and violates Federal Privacy Laws. * Employees are prohibited from performing personal or school work on company time, with the exception of your lunch break. * Employees are prohibited from using company property for personal reasons without expressed permission. * Deliberately restricting production or abandoning the job will result in employee termination. * Employees should be alert to keeping aisles, doorways, and floors clear and clean at all times. * Work areas should always be kept clean, orderly, and sanitized. * Spills should be cleaned up immediately. * Employees should use the correct tools and equipment for each task. * Brooms, mops, dishes, and equipment should be returned to their proper places when not in use. * Electrical equipment must be shut off and/or unplugged before any cleaning, repairs, or adjustments are done. All repairs or adjustments will be done by qualified individuals and/or companies approved by management. DO NOT ATTEMPT MAINTENANCE ON ANY EQUIPMENT UNLESS YOU HAVE BEEN TRAINED TO DO SO AND ASKED TO DO SO BY MANAGEMENT. * Employees are strictly prohibited from possessing weapons, explosives, or other dangerous items on Little Owl Cafe premise. * If an employee is injured during work, regardless of the severity of the injury, the employee must immediately notify management and fill out any appropriate forms. If immediate medical care is needed, management will promptly assist the employee. If an employee is found to be at fault for a personal accident or the injury of another, the employee will be subject to disciplinary action. 

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Drug & alcohol use

It is company policy that we maintain a drug free workplace. Little Owl Cafe has a zero-tolerance policy for employees who report to work under the influence of drugs or alcohol. If I suspect you to be under the influence I may take immediate disciplinary action.  For those of legal age, I will sometimes make mixed drinks for celebrations, but this is the only time that it is acceptable to drink alcohol on the premises. We have cooking wine and other forms of alcohol in the cafe for baking. These are not for staff consumption.  Smoke breaks are not allowed. If you are a smoker, I advise you to quit, or find another method of nicotine delivery that will get you through an 8-hour shift. Cigarette smoke damages your smell and taste receptors in addition to being a gross cancer-causing habit. To be able to do this job well, you need your sense of smell and taste to be intact.

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Weather Emergencies

I will notify staff when Little Owl Cafe must close due to extreme cold weather, ice storms, blizzards, power outages, flooding, and/or other extreme weather. Little Owl Cafe will close when the outside temperature reaches -50 degrees or colder. Employees are expected to leave plenty of time for travel during extreme weather. Staff members are also expected to report to work regardless of his/her personal feelings or opinions of weather conditions. If weather prevents an employee from leaving his/her residence and/or creates unsafe travel, employees are required to contact a manager to discuss leave options.  

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Company Security

Little Owl Café reserves the right to film or record audio of employee activity to protect the safety and health of employees and patrons. There are security cameras in both cafes. For safety there will always be at least two staff members working whenever the business is open. If you are an opening baker and you are working solo, please lock doors for your own safety. Any suspicious persons or activity in the building or in the parking lot should be reported to me immediately. Staff must notify management of any potential threats, harassment, or stalking that could occur while on shift due to personal conflicts.  Staff should remain calm and seek management support if suspicious, violent, or emergency circumstances should arise on the premise.

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Policy Handbook

2025

Little Owl Cafe

Artisans Courtyard

Give a HOOT about coffee!

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Give a HOOT about coffee! 〰️

Little Owl Cafe

Eagle Plaza